Video address by a resident of Kumanovo

We are publishing a partial transcript of a video address by a resident of Kumanovo. The video has had over 100.000 visits within an hour since it was posted.

“We’ve heard no response yet, from a moral or ethical standpoint….to the question what brought us to this point. Yeah, like it was Putin or the USA that did this to us, right. Let’s think about it, who caused this? It’s not the people, you know, Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, it’s none of their fault. There used to be days when we could be fooled and manipulated, but not today, now the people are aware.

…How about we hear some of the stories of people who are starved by the economy in Macedonia…rather than estimates and promises for employment, this many or that many… or economic zones popping up that we, the people don’t see or live.

Nobody wants war.

And nobody seems to want to analyse the reasons that brought to this.

I call on the Albanian political leaders….though, all have sold themselves to different causes,…I call on them, come here among the people. I call on SDSM, I call on Gruevski…all those in Ministerial cabinets,…where are their families,…do they have kids or family here…they should stand here in the front lines….Goce Delchev, Scanderbey waged together with their own fighters, they weren’t hiding behind their office desks.

…Nationalism and terrorism don’t exist here. I’ve been living here for 40 years and as an Albanian haven’t uttered 40 bad words for Macedonians. I am glad that we, myself Albanian and him, Macedonian finally understood that we are being manipulated. Yet, large part of the population remains in a dire condition and can’t reach the same conclusion as us. Let’s fix these flaws and prevent fights.”